This invention relates to a tool sharpening apparatus and method. It particularly pertains to a sharpening guide and a procedure for using the guide for sharpening dental curets.
Dental curets are used to scrape the calculus deposits from tooth surfaces, to smooth roughened and diseased root surfaces, and to surgically incise diseased gum tissue.
Normal use against these rough or abrasive surfaces tends to dull the curet's cutting edge. To function efficiently, curets must be correctly sharpened at frequent intervals.
Prior methods of sharpening curets involve various free-hand techniques, all of which are prone to error. Even an individual experienced in the use of dental curets may not understand correct sharpening procedure and may thus destroy the edge of the curet by incorrect sharpening.
A common sharpening error encountered is failure to restore the cutting edge to the proper angle. Another common error is failure to maintain the proper blade shape with the cutting edges parallel and the toe smoothly rounded.